A Spark Set Aflame
by Maplefire
Summary: When divided loyalties strike ElmClan, will the decisions of a few, change the path of the clans forever? [reviews, character development and suggestions welcome]
1. Allegiances

**_Allegiances_**  
 **Oakclan**  
 ** _Leader:_** Sedgestar –dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
 ** _Deputy:_** Nightclaw – dark grey tabby tom with piercing green eyes, apprentice, Pinepaw  
 ** _Medicine Cat:_** Sloefur – black tom-cat with amber eyes

 ** _Warriors:_**  
Heavyclaw – thickset dark-brown tabby tom, apprentice, Greypaw  
Stonefoot – blue-grey tom-cat with green eyes, apprentice, Rockpaw  
Ratscar – small light-grey tom-cat, former rogue  
Swallowtail – golden-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Flamefoot – small ginger she-cat  
Leopardpelt – long-legged golden tabby she-cat with darker stripes, apprentice, Birdpaw  
Smokefur – black tom-cat, apprentice, Sootpaw  
Eagletail – dark brown tabby she-cat, apprentice, Cedarpaw  
Darkwhisker – black tom-cat with blue eyes, apprentice, Sleetpaw  
Barkfang – light brown tabby she-cat  
Shredclaw – jet black tom-cat with amber eyes  
Troutfur – blue-grey she-cat  
Mothflight – pretty calico she-cat with blue eyes and a sweeping tail  
Oakfall – small golden tabby tom-cat with green eyes  
Dappleleaf – tortoise-shell and white she-cat

 ** _Queens:_**  
Goldentail – large ginger she-cat with green eyes (mother to Rainkit, Rushkit and Larkkit)  
Wildfur – golden tabby she-cat  
Dawnbreeze – small black and white she-cat

 ** _Apprentices:_**  
Pinepaw – blue-grey tom-cat with amber eyes  
Greypaw – small light-grey tabby she-cat  
Rockpaw – black tom  
Birdpaw – light-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Sootpaw – dark grey tom  
Cedarpaw – cream and white tom-cat  
Sleetpaw – silver tabby tom-cat with a white underbelly

 ** _Elders:_**  
Birchbark – dark brown tabby tom  
Thistlepelt – black and white tom-cat  
Longstrike – black she-cat with amber eyes

 **Elmclan**  
 ** _Leader:_** Finchstar – small golden tabby she-cat with green eyes  
 ** _Deputy:_** Sparksong – pretty silver-grey she-cat with blue eyes and a busy tail  
 ** _Medicine Cat:_** Breezefall – blue-grey tom-cat, blind in one eye

 ** _Warriors:_**  
Buzzardtail – dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes, apprentice, Streampaw  
Boulderclaw – blue-grey tom-cat  
Ambereye – white she-cat with one green eye and one amber eye, apprentice, Brightpaw  
Mousetail – small grey tom-cat  
Cedarspring – brown tabby tom-cat, apprentice, Otterpaw  
Rockfall – black tom-cat with green eyes  
Rowanfur – black tom-cat with blue eyes  
Stumpytail – small light brown tom-cat  
Icedrop – white she-cat, apprentice, Flowerpaw

 ** _Queens:_**  
Poppystem – tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Marshkit and Lilykit)  
Applefur – long-furred ginger she-cat

 ** _Apprentices:_**  
Streampaw – silver tabby she-cat  
Brightpaw – ginger she-cat with blue eyes  
Otterpaw – dark brown tabby tom  
Flowerpaw – tortoiseshell and white she-cat

 ** _Elders:_**  
Songheart – ginger and white she-cat  
Kinkfur - dark brown tom  
Mumblefoot – long-furred black tom

 **Birchclan**  
 ** _Leader:_** Beechstar – large dark-brown tom-cat with amber eyes  
 ** _Deputy:_** Berryleaf – cream and white she-cat with blue eyes  
 ** _Medicine Cat:_** Fernleaf – grey tabby she-cat  
 ** _Apprentice:_** Splashpaw – light grey and white she-cat

 ** _Warriors:_**  
Nettlefur – black she-cat with amber eyes  
Talonclaw – dark brown tabby tom  
Frogleap – small black and white tom-cat  
Blackclaw – black tomcat, apprentice, Shimmerpaw  
Heronclaw – grey tom-cat with amber eyes  
Dewmist – black she-cat with green eyes, apprentice, Firepaw  
Leaftail – light brown tom-cat with green eyes  
Russetfur– tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, apprentice, Swiftpaw  
Blazepelt – ginger tom-cat  
Smallfoot – black and white she-cat

 ** _Queens:_**  
Bramblefur – dark tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Leopardspots – ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Mosskit and Vinekit)

 ** _Apprentices:_**  
Firepaw – ginger tom-cat with blue eyes  
Shimmerpaw – silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Smokepaw – dark grey she-cat  
Swiftpaw – ginger and white tom-cat

 ** _Elders:_**  
Ravenfur – black tom-cat  
Foxclaw – ginger tom-cat with green eyes  
Oakclaw – dark brown tabby tom

 **Willowclan**  
 ** _Leader:_** Redtalon – small red tom-cat with blue eyes, apprentice, Whitepaw  
 ** _Deputy:_** Hailstorm – large white tom-cat  
 ** _Medicine Cat:_** Lakeshine – small silver she-cat with green eyes

 ** _Warriors:_**  
Briarfang – tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, apprentice, Reedpaw  
Foxleap – red tom-cat with a white underbelly  
Owlflight – light brown tabby tom  
Brackentail – small tabby tom  
Larksong – pretty golden spotted she-cat

 ** _Queens:_**  
Skybreeze – long-legged silver tabby she-cat (mother to Silverkit)

 ** _Apprentices:_**  
Reedpaw – red-brown tabby tom with a white underbelly  
Whitepaw – white she-cat with a green eye and a blue eye  
Bumblepaw – small golden tabby she-cat with dark stripes


	2. Chapter 1

"Redtalon, Redtalon, you better come quick before someone loses an ear and a tail….and an eye!" The fluffy white apprentice called as she gave up her shady spot at the roots of the old pine tree to eagerly disturb a hardly-rested member of the dawn patrol.

"The next time you decide to take up the role of camp crier, can you kindly walk around the tails of your sleeping clan-mates?" came a mew dripping with dismay.

"Oh please, as if you can sleep with Foxleap's bark echoing into -" her reply was cut off as she turned her good eye towards the source of the voice and clearly spotted the tortoise-shell pelt of Briarfang. Well, not the best cat to mess with, even after a good catnap.

"The rest of us might not, but it sure looks like Redtalon can," Reedpaw pointed out, stifling a purr as he rested his tail on the white she-cat's shoulders. "This is who you have for a mentor? Gee, you seem to see and hear better with one eye than he does with two!"

The ever menacing Briarfang sprung to action at the mention of Redtalon's name, challenging Reedpaw, her own apprentice with an unwavering glare, though the latter – ever to Whitepaw's surprise, seemed rather unphased.

"Now," Reedpaw meowed, "Although I might have the prettier pelt, Whitepaw here's the one with the story. Correct me otherwise, but it sounds like Foxleap…."

Finally, this was enough to awaken the sleeper in question, and the small red warrior rose to his paws as if he had never missed a beat. "Spare no details – what did Foxleap do this time? If Sedgestar got one thing right, it's the name of that tom!"

"Stonefoot called him a traitor – just like every other time, but I swear they were fighting with more than just words this time!" Whitepaw reported, pointing her tail in the direction of faint scuffling, followed by distinctive hisses.

"Redtalon, we better go while we can still save his pelt," Briarfang meowed, though she was rather uneager to take a step without assurance that her red clanmate would not be far behind. "Whitepaw, Reedpaw, stay here until we return – you've both seen how ugly it can get, like we're not even a clan!"

Reedpaw gave a curt nod in agreement, the solemnity of Briarfang's remark not lost on the still young apprentice. Ever since his mentor – and Whitepaw's too, among others, had taken a stance opposite to that of Sedgestar's in the Elmclan battle, all unity seemed to be lost in camp, and the hope that the divide in sentiments would be patched only faded more and more with each passing day.

"We could've driven Elmclan out – if only we didn't have a few traitors brewing in this camp! They have the best territory in the whole forest!" was oft the remark from Sedgestar's closest group of senior warriors, those who seemed to consistently escape fault. Of course, the ideology of strength at the cost of another clan's wellbeing was not shared among all clan-mates, but amidst a scorching hot Greenleaf plagued by drought, more and more cats seemed to slowly align themselves with that mindset.

"Do you think it'll work?" Whitepaw piped up, a look of concern clouding her good eye. "Briarfang looked concerned – I mean more concerned than usual."

"Of course!" Reedpaw assured her, mustering up all the courage he could in his voice as he looked towards the trail left behind by their mentors. Although he was only a couple moons older than Whitepaw, he couldn't help but feel a subconscious need to protect her from the dangers of camp, along with the stigma of her sight that would follow her for the rest of her days. "If Briarfang can deal with me for an apprentice – she can deal with anything! You know Whitepaw….her mother must have had a sixth sense when naming her Briar, with a pelt like that!"

"You seem pretty sharp today yourself," Whitepaw replied, referencing his many remarks. "Maybe her mother should've named YOU Briarpaw instead!"

"Well one thing's for sure – she might be Briarfang to you and I, but the minute Redtalon walks in - well, we might as well call her Briar _fawn_!" He looked over at Whitepaw, and winked, a smug smile on his face as he broke out into a low purr.

"Yeah, she'll have your pelt for that one," Whitepaw meowed, "But first…how about we go and see if she has Foxleap's first!"

"Now, now, if anyone asks, it was YOUR idea to stray from Briarfang's orders!" Reedpaw replied, already taking a couple steps forward in challenge of his clanmate.

"Oh but I think she knows you-"

Whitepaw's soft, squeaky meow was cut off by a loud booming cry that she recognized as her leader, Sedgestar, although the words did not ring with a commanding pride, as much as anger and distrust.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me to hear my decision!"

She shook her head, and although her paws took her in the direction of her leader, as was muscle memory instilled in her from training, her heart was filled with dread. Was this how Redtalon felt when called into battle against Elmclan?

The scent of her mentor was lost among the cats that had gathered behind them, but the bright, speckled pelt of Briarfang was easily distinguishable among the browns and greys of her other clan-mates. She pondered the feasibility of slowly slipping past the others to take cover by Briarfang's side, for she didn't doubt that the she-cat's mind was as gifted as her tongue was sharp and her heart was true. Besides, if Briarfang was there, she figured that her own mentor would not be too far apart.

Too late, as Sedgestar's next words pulled Whitepaw right out of her thoughts.

"I give you here – a cat who has disobeyed the warrior code, one who had the audacity to attack one of his own clanmates, for….correcting an error in judgement. Thoughts of betrayal plague the thoughts of the clan, but no sign is more evident than the one I was shown today. Foxleap, from this moment onwards, you are no longer welcome in Oakclan territory. Clanmates, if we see this…." Sedgestar finally paused for a heartbeat then, as if to catch his breath before stretching out the next word. "this _traitor_ by nightfall, you have every permission to attack."

Despite the blood spilling out his right ear and seeping into his ginger pelt, the accused was rather agile and collected, as he seamlessly dodged the menacing snarls of Sedgestar's senior warriors who had begun to approach Sedgestar's side, barely


	3. Chapter 2

It was said that one often found what one sought, hidden in plain sight. Such was the case in the search for Owlfight, who was finally found in the shadows of camp, likely under the firm watch of one of Sedgestar's closest, but nevertheless, unapproached, and more importantly, unscathed.

"Sleeping?" Briarfang whispered, her mouth slightly ajar as she turned to Redtalon, the two troublesome apprentices, nevertheless, not far behind. She took a couple steps towards him, eyes and ears alert for any ambush from her clanmates – as troublesome as the thought was, that those she grew up with, may well be a silent enemy in this day.

Proving to be awake and alert, the brown tabby opened his eyes just a sliver as Briarfang's scent engulfed his nostrils. "Even an apprentice knows to stay away," Owlflight warned, his voice low, yet hardly constrained from breaking into a hiss. "Don't you worry – I'll leave you to your peace soon enough."

As fierce as Briarfang was herself, even she was taken aback by Owlflight's hostility, for the cool contrast to Foxleap was always known for being a calm, level-headed presence in camp. "I take it that you're….unharmed then," she concluded, shuffling her paws to fill the emptiness that her voice was struggling to fill.

"We…we thought that we'd help look for Foxleap. Not all see him as a clanmate still, but we still do."

Owlflight opened his eyes wider then, examining Briarfang up and down, his eyes still clouded with suspicion. "Not all – is an understatement, Briarfang," he pointed out. "Any cat who dares to bring up his name will be the next to share his fate - and I don't suppose you're willing to make that…sacrifice?"

Briarfang returned the long look cast by Owlflight – for this was not the Owlflight she knew, but having lost his only kin, to nothing less than the change of heart of his own clanmates, was ample reason for him to act this way. Without a doubt, her clanmates were becoming more aligned with Sedgestar's idea of conquest, of protecting OakClan above the others with every day that the fresh-kill pile remains meagre compared to Greenleafs of old.

"Even talking to you is seen as a threat, I'm sure. We know what we're getting into – and we're not here to back down, not now, when the bird has already flown."

"We know where our loyalties lie, Owlflight. We know Foxleap's ways – and how much he needs us right now," Redtalon reminded him. "Let us help you – before all hope is lost."

"We've trained together as apprentices – we've thrown mossballs at Dapplestar's den, and cleaned up tenfold. We've trained our first apprentices together, and gotten scolded again when they got in the same kind of trouble we did. Does that mean nothing to you, Owlflight?" Surely he had to agree – or else, Briarfang would be at a loss for more than just words.

As the words took their sweet time to sink in, Owlflight looked to lighten up, still a shadow, but a glimpse of his old self returned to his gaze, as if a physical burden was lifted from his weary shoulders. He got to his paws, pretending to stretch after a long nap that he obviously had not had in many days. "If you're serious – meet me by the abandoned den, where the old twoleg tree stands. We'll wait until nightfall, but no longer. If I don't see you, remember me, but forget these words. Warrior's honor." He brushed past her then, heading straight for the exit to camp, and Briarfang just knew that it would be the last time her old friend would leave this camp. He didn't look back.

"Warrior's honor," she whispered into the wind, praying for StarClan to give him strength – and maybe some for herself too.


	4. Chapter 3

"Well, what's the verdict?" Redtalon whispered when Owlflight was out of earshot.

"It's not like Owlflight to act without a plan," Briarfang meowed. "And I figured as much. But," she leaned in closely then, suddenly feeling the need for warmth. "Are you ready to leave the clan?"

Redtalon pressed his nose against Briarfang's cheek, guessing at the fear that she was masking with her unusual show of affection. "There's not much left for us here, hasn't been since the whole ElmClan fiasco. I don't see any other choice."

"What about Reedpaw, and Whitepaw? They still have much to learn, and much to long for."

"They'll come with us – and we'll teach them all we know, and wait and watch for StarClan to show us the rest," Redtalon looked up towards the skies then but the beaming sun told no tales.

Briarfang slowly nodded. "The old Twoleg tree – and abandoned den," she echoed Owlflight's meeting spot. "Owlflight said that they'll wait until nightfall, but no longer. I say we leave separately, would attract less attention that way. Hopefully, he and Foxleap will still be there, and….he said there may be others."

"You should leave first then," Redtalon meowed. "It'll be safer that way."

Briarfang shook her head. Whitepaw was the younger apprentice, and as much as she hated to admit it, was not, or perhaps never will be the strongest fighter in the clan. "It's going to have to be you. I need to talk to Lakeshine. Maybe a couple others."

"You're not thinking of convincing them to come, are you?" Redtalon questioned. Briarfang was fearless at times, but could this be going too far?

"No," she sighed. "It's too dangerous – too dangerous to even say goodbye. But I want to know what Lakeshine thinks, what StarClan thinks of all this."

"This is only goodbye for now, not goodbye forever, for our friends and foes alike. StarClan keep you safe, ad may nightfall come sooner." He touched noises with her and licked Briarfang's shoulder affectionately, before taking a couple heartbeats to gather himself, and walk away as if they had been meowing away about juicy prey all this time.

He called to Whitepaw warmly. "Come on now, time for training, I know you've been sleeping ever since I left for dawn patrol!"

Briarfang watched as Whitepaw hurried along after her mentor, unbeknownst of the news, at least for the time being. She did not question what Whitepaw's answer would be, but did for a moment, wish that she was also going to be there to reassure the young apprentice. "Come now, Reedpaw – we better plan our day before you let a younger apprentice become a warrior before you!"

"Why don't we go with them then?" Reedpaw challenged. "I'll show Whitepaw that my reflexes are twice as fast as hers!"

"Twice as fast or not – if you go together, you'll bring back half the amount of prey each! We can compare prey after we get back, although whatever the catch, I'm sure you'll make it up with words aplenty."

"Well we need to get going now – they've already, oh must be at least 20 paces ahead of us by now!" Reedpaw countered, pushing at his mentor as they made their way around camp, all the while trying to avoid the suspecting eyes around camp. For all they knew, they were just having a friendly conversation with Clanmates, much like the others.

Briarfang said nothing more, but quickened her pace until they were relatively secluded once again. "Stay close to me. I need to go talk to Lakeshine first, but we'll be doing more than just hunting today. We'll be saving Foxleap."


End file.
